National Merit Scholarships are given out around the country for students who perform well on their Preliminary SAT (PSAT) and offer guaranteed student financial aid. In many cases these National Merit Awards are awarded as full rides – meaning that a student will have their education completely paid for. While National Merit Scholarships are given out across the United States not every college in every state participates in a program in which these awards are given out. You must find the ones that do to receive the award. You may have to change your college plans if you find out that the college of your choice doesn’t allow you to use the Merit Award to pay for your tuition. Read more about the Merit scholarships to apply to them if you qualify. They are not for all students, just those with high PSAT scores.